Blog
Ahhhhhhh! The Simple Joys of Summer
by Peg Rowe
July 15, 2011
I love spring when the earth wakes up from winter and I can see my garden come alive. As spring turns into summer there’s so much to look forward to. The longer days and warm temperatures lure me outside to enjoy all the pleasures of the season.
One of my fondest summer memories is taking my daughter to the beach when she was 3 or 4 years old. She loved to splash in the water and chase the waves. Her absolutely favorite thing was to swing on the big swing set at the beach. She would run to the swings, hop up onto the seat and urge me to push her higher and higher. It reminds me of the poem, The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson:
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown –
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
Summer is the time to appreciate the carefree activities that connect us to joy…swinging in the park, riding bikes, enjoying leisurely meals outdoors, going to the lake, playing volleyball at the beach, eating an ice cream cone on a hot day, reading a book under a shady tree, visiting the farmers markets, playing Frisbee with your dog, lying in the grass and watching the clouds go by and.
Slow down. Celebrate summer. Reconnect to your 6-year-old self and play. Experience the joy and delight of summer.